Monday, March 30, 2009

Juiced on Java
The hilarious ads for Zaini Chocolate's Kofli, coffee bean candies feature an overly caffeinated Easter Bunny and friends. I'm sure we could all use an extra perk! You can find the Italian candies here.

Friday, March 27, 2009

TCHO is Nerdy!
A bunch of chocolate loving tech geeks from San Fran got together to create TCHO, their very own luxury chocolate operation. The name is a hybrid of technology + chocolate. Their approach to chocolate sourcing, packaging, production and tasting is
totally geeky--providing us with long, technical reports on sourcing, formulations and tasting techniques. They even created their own flavor wheel which organizes the flavors inherently found in chocolate. I'm especially fond of the packaging which is based on algorithmic guilloche patterns. I'm trying to get my hands on a few of their bars asap. I'm certain they'll make me smarter. Via The DIELINE.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Chocolate Lab
My girlfriend just rescued a Labrador pup from some backstreet in Mexico. I think I'll send her a few of these cute little pooches from Martine's Chocolates to welcome the little guy home. Dog lovers, these chocolate canines also come in Chihuahua, Bulldog, Cocker Spaniel and just about any other purebred you can imagine. I think you have to special order the mutts...

Friday, March 20, 2009

Cookware for Chocolate Nerds
Preparing chocolate inspired dishes generally requires the use of tools that you normally wouldn’t use for everyday cooking. Chocolate is a very particular food and special care must be taken to insure that it is prepared properly. Here are a few simple kitchen tools and dinnerware that no chocolate lover should be without.
Hot Chocolate Maker Hot chocolate can be prepared in a variety of different ways. While some people are content simply mixing cocoa powder and hot water, I prefer to brew hot chocolate with a ceramic hot chocolate maker. These makers whip milk and cocoa together into a creamy and frothy decedent beverage whose taste cannot be beat. Hot chocolate made the way it was meant to be, in a traditional hot chocolate maker, puts modern microwave style chocolate to shame.
Double Boiler I love to melt chocolate to use in cakes and brownies or to cover pastries or cookies but without a double boiler this feat is almost impossible. Simply boiling chocolate in a standard pan will burn and harden the chocolate, making it difficult to spread or cover foods. A double boiler will heat chocolate to the optimum temperature, keeping it at a consistency that allows for drizzling, spreading, and dipping.
Fondue Pots Fondue is a popular party dish that is as much fun to eat as it is delicious. While some people prefer to melt cheese to accent meats and breads, chocolate fondue is the only decadent option. By heating and keeping chocolate at a deviously creamy consistency, your friends will love dipping assorted fruits into the pot for a luscious after dinner treat. Fruits like strawberries, bananas, apples, raspberries, and many other foods can be paired with chocolate to create mouth-watering flavor combos.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Goodness Grace-ous!
I'm sure a ton of people have wanted a piece of Grace Jones for years. Now they can sink their teeth right into her dark chocolate with this life sized chocolate replica molded directly from the iconic diva's actual body parts. I'm in awe. Leave it to Grace Jones to do this! More here.


Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Space Case
I've been feeling way spacey recently. I'm certain a box of these solar system inspired truffles would beam me back down to Earth. Too bad they're all the way from Barcelona, may as well be from Pluto:(

Friday, March 06, 2009

My Type Of Keyboard
My recent post on Kohler confections made me wonder what other companies would do with chocolate. Someone totally beat Apple to this one! Found via gizmodo.